


The Forest Realm

by ChamiKhan18



Category: Natepat - Fandom
Genre: JUST, M/M, Please read, SO, Ugh, also, he dies a horrible death though, i'm dead and super gay, i'm just trash, the villain here is mean and i hate him, there's that, warning for kidnapping and Matt not being treated very nice, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-10-02 12:03:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17263874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChamiKhan18/pseuds/ChamiKhan18
Summary: Matt gets taken by gnomes. The first chapter is super annoying and boring, but whatever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Uh... this is my first post ever on this website, I hope you enjoy it!!! Please leave kudos if you liked it, and if not, please tell me what you think I can do to improve it in the comments. Thanks, and enjoy!!!! :)

Matt looked out the window with worry. Surely he would be here soon. His weekly visit was five minutes ago, and Matt was getting worried. It’s nothing, he told himself. He’s just late. That’s all. Matt paced the perimeter of the room once more, and stopped when he heard a rustling noise in the corner of the room. Matt cautiously crept over and threw the shirt off.

Suddenly, a gnome jumped out and grabbed him, and shouted something that vaguely sounded like “Erg!”

Five other gnomes jumped out from various places in the room and grabbed Matt, weighing him down to the ground. No matter how much he struggled, they were just too strong and, eventually, the gnomes carried a struggling Matt out of his house and into the forest next to his living quarters.

They carried Matt into a little gnome village and paraded him through the center of the town where other gnomes gathered to watch and cheered. Needless to say, Matt was thoroughly weirded out. They passed out of the village with a parade of gnome villagers following behind. They went on like this for about five more minutes, until finally, they came to a mansion-sized tree surrounded by glowing fairies that flitted curiously around Matt. He yelped in surprise when one decided to do something decidedly inappropriate. The gnomes knocked on the large wooden door, and they backed up as it creaked open.

They carried Matt through the door and followed a group of fairies that showed them the way to wherever they were taking him. They arrived at a golden door and knocked, and Matt struggled one last time. He managed out knock himself loose, but was caught by the fairies just as he was about to hit the ground. The large golden door opened, and Matt was flown in.

In the room sat a comfy looking chair made out of vines and various flowers, and on it sat a pale man with dark hair, dark eyes, and lobe earrings. In fact he looked like… “Nate?!” Matt exclaimed.

Nate groaned, ran a hand down his face, and then said something in a weird language that sounded vaguely like chirps. The fairies gently set him down, and they all left, closing the door behind them. As soon as it was closed, Nate rushed over and began untying him. “Ugh, I am so sorry! When they said they were bringing me a gift, I thought they were talking about food or something, not...you…” Nate trailed off.

“Are you okay?” Nate asked.

Matt stood up and blinked, still unsure if this was a dream or not. Just in case, he slapped himself. Nope, he thought as he painfully held his face, not a dream. Nate stifled a chuckle with his hand, and Matt sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think… I think I’m gonna pass out.”

Sure enough, Matt felt himself falling out the floor, and the last thing he saw was Nate reaching out to catch him. Matt fell into something comfortable and knew no more.


	2. The Next Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt gets and explanation, romance and fluff ensues, and the plot gets a hella lot better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, second chapter!!!! Just a reminder, if you see anything wrong, please tell me in the comments so I can fix it. Thanks, and here we GOOOOOO!!!!!!! :)
> 
> (NOT QUITE YET, HOOMANS!!!!! IF YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR, YOU ARE PROBABLY A NATEPAT SHIPPER. I HAVE CREATED A DISCORD SERVER FOR SUCH HOOMANS LIKE US. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS!!!!!)

Matt groaned and slowly sat up, looking around the room he was in. Where was he? Oh. Yeah...

Matt slumped as it all came back to him in a rush. There was a knock at the door, and Matt called out, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Nate stepped in carefully, holding a glass of water and… were those flowers? Matt blinked sleepily. What the heck? Matt looked groggily at Nate, who flushed red. “They’re, ah, for your headache. And for shock. You… smell them, and it helps. So… yeah.”

Matt blinked again. “Thanks.”

Nate nodded and gently set them on the nightstand. Cautiously, Nate sat down on the edge of the bed, and cleared his throat. “...May I explain?”

Matt nodded, feeling he at least deserved that. Nate nodded and began to speak. “Well, about two years ago, I started waking up in the forest. I would be surrounded by what I thought was lightning bugs at first, but slowly, I realized they looked like people with wings. I freaked out, but they began to talk to me, and slowly I began to understand them. They told me I was here to ‘save them,’ whatever that meant. So, I came in the daytime, and they led me here. They showed me each of the different parts of the kingdom, and how I was to rule them."

“I learned how to summon my ‘inner magic,’ and now I rule them. Unfortunately, I can’t let you go.” Matt sat straight up and looked at him in shock.

“What?!” He exclaimed. “Nate, I have a life! I have to get back! What- why?”

Nate rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Winter is coming.”

Matt gave him a Look. “I want an answer, not a Game of Thrones reference.”

Nate laughed, and then coughed. “Erm, well, if I don’t except the gnomes gift, they’ll think that the pixies convinced me not too, and they’ll wage war. Right before winter when they need their supplies the most. If I don’t want total chaos and to be responsible for the destruction of several of the villages, then I have to keep you here. I’m super sorry, but there isn’t really much I can do.”

“Can’t you just tell them I have a life?”Matt pleaded desperately. Nate sighed.

“I have tried. They have a human village from all the people they took in the Dark Ages. Well, not human, exactly. When they take a human, they give them a drink, and they turn into an elf, like the ones from Lord of the Rings. They have actually been very nice and tolerant when I told them I don’t need babies kidnapped every full moon to satisfy me. Basically, I’m one of them. I can leave once a week, which I was going to do for the last time until they decided to surprise me with a ‘gift.’” Matt nodded, absorbing it. Of course, his best friend and longtime crush would be king of the fairies and other woodland creatures. And, of course, he had to be the one to be chosen as their gift.

“Besides,” Nate added. “It’s not like you had a life.”

Matt sighed. “So… anything else I should know?”

Nate nodded. “There’s also an evil king of the fairies I have to work against. His name is King Oberon.”

Matt opened his mouth, but Nate beat him to the punch. “Not that one. He’s named after him, though, and when the fairy godmother chose me as the new king, he didn’t like that I wasn’t of the forest. So, he left, took a following with him, and has gone into the forbidden parts of the forest since.”

Matt ran a hand down his face in exhaustion. “So, let me get this straight. You were chosen by a fairy godmother, and you are the king of the fairies, gnomes- wait, what else is there?”

Nate smiled broadly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Unicorns, ogres -though they all work for Oberon- phoenixes, griffins, basilisks, centaurs, leprechauns, kelpies, and fire salamanders, and probably a crap ton more that I’m forgetting ‘cause my memory is shit."

Matt blinked. “Wow. That’s… that’s pretty cool.”

Nate laughed. “I know, right? It’s been pretty crazy, and I don’t think I can go back again."

“Back to our world?” Nate nodded.

“So,” Matt continued. “Tell me more about who’s on who’s side.”

“Well, we have two unicorns working for Oberon, all of the ogres but one (the one who isn’t is really nice), many centaurs, most of the leprechauns, and the kelpies are on their own side. Seriously, though, don’t get on a horse unless I say it’s okay. Otherwise, it’s probably a kelpie and they will drown you. We’ve made a pact with them that they won’t try to lure humans, but unfortunately, you don’t count anymore, so just… don’t.”

Matt nodded and swung his legs out of the bed. He picked up a flower and smelled it. He felt more awake like he had just drunk coffee. Matt laughed. “Wow, they’re like the opposite of the poppies from The Wizard of Oz.”

Nate’s face brightened up quite a bit. “Oh my gosh!” He exclaimed. “That’s exactly what I thought, too!”

Matt laughed and, while doing so, caught a whiff of himself. He coughed uncomfortably. “Is there somewhere I could take a shower or something similar?”

Nate nodded and stood up. “Follow me,” he invited.

Nate walked out the door and into the hallway. He stopped just after a couple of feet at a door with golden lettering spelling out something in a language Matt couldn’t read. Nate beamed at him. “There’s a toilet in there as well. Well, sort of. It’s more like a hole that leads to the ground. It goes into the dirt and nourishes the soil so more things can grow. The pixies spread a special flower potion that makes it so it doesn’t smell.”

Matt smiled. “That’s really cool. Well, thank you for the flowers and not threatening my life if I try to escape.”

Nate shook his head. “I’m so sorry about this. I know of a way we can get your daily Diet Coke, though.”

Matt beamed.“Could you really?”

Nate nodded, returning Matt's bright smile hesitantly. “Well, enjoy.”

Nate opened the door and Matt stepped inside curiously. Lush moss carpet lined the wooden floors with a vibrant green, completing the magical forest feel so completely he felt he was inside of a modern day fairytale. Matt groaned out loud. He sounded like a teenage girl’s fanfiction. (I wonder why...)

Matt shook it off and observed the rest of the bathroom. It was actually really big, with a huge wooden bathtub, a shower, a sink, an alcove with all sorts of bottles, and, yes, as Nate mentioned, a toilet. It was all wooden, but the wood was smooth and warm. It was comforting. Extremely comforting. Matt walked over to the bathtub and examined the handles. There was one with a red flower growing out of it, and one with a blue flower growing there. Well, that was nice and self-explanatory. Matt twisted the knob with the red flower and steaming water came pouring out.

Once it was his preferred depth and temperature, Matt began to take off his clothes but was stopped by a stream of fairies that poured in through a hole in the wall that Matt hadn’t noticed before. They quickly took off his clothes, and in dismay, he noticed that they had ripped them all to shreds. “Hey!” Matt protested.  


The fairies ignored him and carried him to the tub, where they set him in gently. The fairies first brought him a drink, and practically poured it down his throat. Matt coughed and spluttered, but once he got over that, it had a pleasant taste, like ripe raspberries. Matt felt much better like he had just drunk liquid youth. Then, they scrubbed him down with pieces of moss. They washed his hair and gave him a very nice pedicure and manicure, then, used some sort of string to measure him, or so he assumed they were doing.

They all rushed away, and just a second later came back with a gorgeous green suit, adorned with polished stones of various color. They lifted Matt out of the tub and toweled him off with long pieces of… plant material. Matt wasn’t sure what it was but it was nice. Fit for a king, he realized with a start. Or a queen.

Matt was shaken out of his thoughts by the fairies putting the suit on him, gently making sure every piece was in its proper place, making him a little uncomfortable, but other than that, he was fine. The clothes felt like how a child imagines a cloud feels. Light, fluffy, super comfortable. The fairies then styled his hair with what he suspected was sap, but he wasn’t sure. Then, they grabbed his hands and tugged him out of the bathroom. They tugged him down the hall until they reached a large wooden door with old fashioned golden ring handles. They knocked, and it swung open, to reveal Nate in a stunning suit of blue that was designed like Matt’s, but somehow, better. It looked, really good on him. Really good.

Matt could feel his face heating up, and Nate blushed upon seeing him. “You, uh, look really nice,” he commented.

“You too,” Matt replied quietly. Nate laughed suddenly, breaking the embarrassing spell.

“So, how was your first time with the fairies taking care of you?” Matt pursed his lips.

“They’re very… pushy,” He replied, not wanting to insult them. They twittered happily and smacked him teasingly. Matt and Nate laughed, and one of the fairies chirped something. Nate’s face turned a bright red, and he buried his head in his hands.

“Agh! Why would you say something like that?!” He exclaimed.

Matt blinked in confusion as the fairies laughed. Nate glared at them and shook his head in annoyance, but there was a gleam in his eye that told Matt he liked what they said more than he was willing to let on. Nate sighed, then perked up and held out his arm. Matt took it happily. Nate led him over to the table and pulled out the seat across from the one Nate was probably going to be sitting in. Nate pushed Matt’s chair in and walked over to the chair Matt suspected, and the fairies pulled it out for him. Nate thanked them, and they flew off in a stream, never stop talking to one another.

Nate laughed. “Wow. They sure like you. They said that you didn’t swat at them once, which many humans do.”

Matt blinked in confusion. “I thought that humans could see them, considering I can.”

Nate shook his head. “Nope. Apparently, you’re very special, and the gnomes had been watching you for a while to make sure you could actually do what they felt you could. You probably have one or two ancestors that lived in the village here once.”

“Hmm,” Matt hummed thoughtfully. “I never thought of that. Speaking of which, when are we going to go see the elf village?” The word still felt foreign on his tongue.

Nate shrugged. “Tomorrow, if you really want to come.”

Matt smiled and nodded. “I would love to.”

Nate nodded and returned the smile. “Our food will be here soon, and they’ll probably eat with us and steal a whole bunch of food off your plate while they’re at it.”

Matt laughed. “Of course they are. What aren’t they going to do?”

A beat of silence and Matt fiddled awkwardly with the silverware. He coughed and looked up, to see Nate staring at him with an odd look on his face. “What?” Matt asked in concern.

“It’s just… you’re taking this really well. Like, oddly well. I mean, from my knowledge of someone having to stay somewhere against their will, there’s a lot of crying and angst. Like, lots of angst.”

Matt laughed. “It’s fine. My parents disowned me, and I don’t have a whole lot of friends, I barely know any of my other family, and the only person I think cares, disappeared, only for me to find out that he’s the king of the forest.”

Nate’s smile faded.

“What?” Matt asked.

“...I’m the only one that cares about you?”

Matt shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I have my cat, or had, I suppose, and now I’m with you, on this magical adventure, and I’m okay. So, I suppose I should thank those gnomes for bringing me here.” Nate opened his mouth to reply, but fairies came streaming in through the doors, working together to carry plates of food. More came in after them, carrying tiny plates and silverware, presumably for themselves.

“Where are they gonna sit? Or are they?” Matt wondered. Nate pointed up, and sure enough, there was a long, thin table with miniature chairs all around it. It was a very long table, being as long as theirs. All of the fairies came streaming in after the others, all holding plates of their own, and looking hungry, but pleased for some reason as they looked at Nate and Matt. They began carving at a piece of meat Matt didn’t recognize and set a slice on both Matt and Nate’s place. Matt waited with Nate as all the fairies sat at their places with their plates filled, and together, they all began to eat.

Matt and Nate ate in quiet, content with listening to the chatters of the fairies. Matt occasionally heard a word or two in English, but he was sure he was just imagining it. In fact, this all seemed imagined. Matt took another look around the room and smiled to himself. Here he was, in a fairytale. Except, it was even better than a fairytale, somehow.

Slowly, fairies began to fly down from their table, and, just as Nate had said, they began to take little bits of food from off his plate. They snuck it, like they were expecting him to stop them. They would flit forward, hiding between various bottles and dishes on the table, then fly as fast as they could towards his plate, snatch a bit of food, then fly away as fast as they could. It was kind of adorable, and Matt laughed whenever one of them did it. They began to sit on his head, burrowing themselves in his hair, making Matt laugh. Nate watched, smiling a smile so big, his dimples almost looked like little holes in his face.

Without notice, music started playing softly, and the table was pushed to the side. Matt’s chair was pulled out from under him, and with a startled yelp, he managed to stumble to his feet. Nate deftly stood up and bowed to Matt. Matt did the same, not knowing what to do, and Nate guided Matt’s arms and hands to his hips and shoulder, and Nate did the same. Slowly, Nate guided his feet, even though Matt had no clue as to what he was doing.

“Nate?”

“Yes?”

“I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Does anyone?”

“...fair point, but I want to apologize in advance.”

“For?"

“Stepping on your feet.”

Nate laughed, sending a thrill through Matt.“Just follow my lead. The fairies taught me.”

Matt frowned suddenly as a thought came to him. “Wait, they’re not going to have us dance forever, are they?”

Nate shook his head. “That’s only if you step inside a fairy circle. Which, by the way, if you do manage to get inside a fairy circle, I can’t help you. It would be all up to them, and, based on how much they like you, they might keep you forever.”

Matt blinked. “Good to know.”

Nate nodded. “Yep. Be careful.”

Matt snorted. “Well, that’s just a given.”

Nate laughed, before trailing it off awkwardly. “Again, I’m really sorry they took you.”

Matt smiled. “Nate, don’t beat yourself up. I’m… actually kind of happy the gnomes did. Otherwise, you would have disappeared forever, and I would have had no idea what happened to my one and only friend. That would have been much worse than being taken by a bunch of gnomes.”

Nate giggled. “Okay. I’m… glad it was you and not someone else.”

Matt’s smile grew wider. “Me too.”

They lapsed into silence, waltzing across the room. Slowly, they were joined by pairs of fairies, swirling around them. Slowly, Nat got closer and closer, until his face was mere inches away. His soft breath smelled like flowers, somehow, mystifying Matt. How in the high heavens had he achieved that? Matt closed his eyes, letting Nate’s warmth and the soft music drag him away.

The song ended, and Matt and Nate bowed to each other. Nate smiled. “Good night, Matthew.”

“You too, Nate.”


	3. The One After The Secnd One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet my OC, and they bake cupcakes. Just, more of my fluffy trash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp, hope you enjoy this and yeah.

Matt woke up feeling refreshed. He looked around his room happily, and smiled to himself. Here he was. A guy in an actual fairy tale of his dreams. A hole opened in the wall, and fairies streamed out. They got into a line and all bowed to him. A light blush formed on Matt’s cheeks at the gesture. “You guys don’t have to do that. I’m not royalty. If anyone, it’s Nate you should be bowing to.”

“But we want to!” A voice chimed. Matt’s eyes went wide. He actually understood what they said. Or, one of them, at least. One fairy stepped forward and bowed. She (or at least Matt assumed) said something in chirps, and, not knowing what else to do, Matt nodded. One by one, they all stepped forward and did the same. Finally, the last one stepped forward, and said, “My name is Willow.”

Matt blinked in surprise. “It is nice to meet you, Willow.”

The other fairies cheered and Willow beamed at him. “Hi! Every person that has been chosen by the forest has one fairy that can communicate with them right away. It seems I am yours! I am going to be your companion.”

Matt smiled. “Cool. Well, hello, Willow.”

She smiled back. “Hello.” Willow flew down and grabbed his hand, and some of the other fairies followed her. They pulled Matt out of the room and into the bathroom where they quickly filled the tub and placed him in it, after removing his clothes. Matt cocked his head in confusion as they washed. 

“Wait, what did you do with my original clothes?”

Willow giggled. “We burned them in a ritual, silly.”

“Oh.” The other fairies twittered with laughter, like, foolish Matt, what else were they going to do with them?

Quickly, they got Matt dressed and out the bathroom door to the breakfast table, where Nate was waiting with a fairy on his shoulder. “Good morning, Matt.”

Matt smiled. “Good morning, Nate.”

Nate gestured to the fairy on his shoulder. “I forgot to mention yesterday. This is Morgan.”

She waved, and Matt waved back. The entourage of fairies following Matt pulled out his chair, and he thanked them, and sat down. The fairies served them, then grabbed some food for themselves and sat down. Matt and Nate ate in companionable silence, the sounds of fairies talking being enough for them. They finished up, and Nate smiled at Matt. 

“So, what do you want to do today?”

Matt shrugged. “I’m not sure. Is there anyway I could help with your ‘kingly duties?’” Nate’s smile got wider, sending the same little thrill through Matt that it always did. Nate shrugged and turned to Morgan.

“What do you think?” He asked. Morgan replied, and Nate nodded. 

“She says it’s fine,” Willow whispered in his ear.

“Thanks,” Matt whispered back. She nodded happily, and Nate shrugged. 

“Come on then,” Nate invited. Nate stood up and walked out of the room, his entourage of fairies opening the door for him. Matt followed Nate to the throne room, where a large group of fairies were already dragging a chair next to the throne. The chair was very similar to the throne, but smaller. It suspiciously reminded Matt of the queen’s throne, but he brushed the thought away. 

Matt sat down and the fairies twittered in excitement and laughter. Matt made a face and looked at them. “What?”

No one answered, but Willow covered her mouth, badly disguising a giggle. Matt rolled his eyes and looked at Nate, who had turned a bright red. “It’s not like that!” Nate protested to the fairies, but they ignored him and continued to laugh. 

Nate grumbled something that Matt didn’t understand and sat down on the throne. He sighed and looked at Matt. “Here, sit. I’m going to need all the help I can possibly get.”

Morgan nodded in agreement, and Matt laughed. Nate smiled, and Morgan made what sounded like a groan. Nate looked at her. “What?”

She fluttered her eyelashes and said something. Willow started laughing, and Nate’s face went from exasperation to disgust and shock in a split second. “That was uncalled for!” He cried. 

Morgan just batted her eyelashes again and Nate just shook his head. “Okay, open the gates,” he commanded. Matt took a seat, and the door opened. First, a gnome walked in and said something along the lines of: “Erna ger habalda, gee kolada noda kaputski.” Then he got very emotional and started to cry. “Que mauli ab a cupolout!”

Willow whispered in his ear, “He says that his wife was taken prisoner by Oberon, and is asking Nate to form a rescue team.” 

Matt’s heart filled with compassion and pity; if Nate were ever taken, he wouldn’t know what he would do. “We’ll do whatever we can,” Nate said, and, satisfied, the gnome left. A couple fairies followed him to comfort him, and Matt looked at Nate. Worry was etched in his features, and Matt placed a hand on his shoulders. 

“Where’s the kitchen?” Matt asked him. Nate’s looked at him in surprise and looked at Morgan. Morgan said a couple of things to Willow, who nodded. Matt stood up and followed Willow as she flew out of the throne room. They walked/flew for a second before Willow asked, “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to try to bake him something. Food always helps,” Matt replied. Willow smiled and nodded. 

“That’s really kind of you. It’s so odd. King Nathan is so kind, and you are just as kind, if not more so. The last king we had was Oberon’s father, and he was…” Willow trailed off and winced. Matt nodded in understanding. 

“I’m sorry. What happened to him?” 

“The king we had last?”

Matt nodded. “You can’t tell anyone this, but my sister… she realized we had to end his reign.”

“Is she okay?” He asked.

Willow smiled. “Yes. She’s perfectly fine. In fact, when she told her girlfriend, her girlfriend told every fairy else, and they celebrated that night. She made him a drink of nightshade berries, and the rest is history. No one suspected anything, especially when she said that he just had a heart attack. It’s very common in their line, and he was fat beyond all belief.”

Matt laughed merrily with her, and she pointed at a door in front of them. “Here it is.”

Matt smiled and pushed open the door, revealing a pristine kitchen complete with ovens. Matt looked in surprise at Willow, who just shrugged and smiled.

“Well, humans might of messed a lot up, but electric ovens aren’t one of them.”

Matt frowned in thought. “So does that mean you have electricity? And computers? And WiFi?”

Willow smirked. “We have better WiFi than all of the human race, electricity, and electric mixers. God, Matt, we’re not heathens!” Matt shook his head and laughed.

“Our favorite website is Tumblr. We provide excellent fanfiction,” she added.

“Of course you do. Wait, after I finish up here, would it be possible that I go back to my old home and grab some stuff?”

Willow eyed him. “As long as it’s not more of those awful clothes we found you in. You have awful taste, even for a human.”

Matt placed a hand on his chest in offense. “I didn’t think it was that bad!”

Willow raised an eyebrow. "You were wearing sweatpants and a Marvel tee shirt."

“Yeah,” Matt admitted. “It was pretty bad, wasn’t it?”

Willow nodded. “Although, I can’t blame you. Besides Nate, there wasn’t anyone you were being seen by. That leads to a bad fashion sense, because you don’t have a need for a good one.”

Matt nodded and sighed happily. “You should have seen me when he came over. I was incredible. The people in Milan, what they wear was nothing compared to what I wore.” 

Willow gave his outfit a satisfied look. “Nothing like you are wearing,” she corrected. 

Matt nodded. “I love it, and it’s much more comfortable than human clothes.”

Willow gave him a ‘duh’ look. “Of course it is. I made it.”

Matt beamed at her. “You did? Well, you did a fabulous job.” Willow didn’t respond and just looked at him with a soft smile on her face.

“What?” Matt asked. 

“You are perfect for Nate.” Without elaborating, she flew off, and Matt followed, dumbstruck. Willow opened a door and led Matt inside. It was a huge pantry, stocked with everything from apples to “Hostess Zebra cakes?” Matt asked, holding up a package. 

Willow shrugged. “We make our own and put them in a the boxes. The unicorns love them.”

Matt’s eyes went wide, and Willow laughed. Matt shook his head, and returned to the task at hand. “So, is there anything gnomes can’t eat?” 

“Tortillas.”

“Okay… anything else?”

“Cinnamon.”

“...did one of them try to eat a cinnamon tortilla?”

“Yes. It was very unfortunate. They’re very good.”

Matt nodded in agreement. “Yes. Yes they are. So, what do they like? Are they okay with non-cinnamon cupcakes? Or cinnamon rolls- wait.”

Willow gave him a Look and Matt sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Matt, what did I just say?”

“You’re mean.” Willow fluttered her eyelashes innocently, and Matt rolled his eyes. 

“So,” Matt continued. “What should we make them?”

Willow cocked her head to the side. “Well, they love chocolate. Seriously, they crave the stuff. If we make him something with chocolate, we’ll have to deliver it in secret, as it’ll probably be stolen. Well, the others might hold off just this once, as he’s going through a really tough time right now. So, yeah. Chocolate would be great.”

Matt nodded. “Okay, chocolate it is then. And just in case, we’ll tell them to hold off by royal order.” He shared another smile with Willow, and the two got to work.

Within an hour, they were done: beautifully frosted chocolate cupcakes, adorned with chocolate frosting and maraschino cherries. Matt held up a hand, and Willow hit her tiny hand against his. The two make quite a team, even to this day. 

Matt walked back to the door that led to the throne room, proudly holding a platter of chocolate cupcakes. He stopped at the door, and Willow looked at him in confusion. “Why are we not going in?” She asked. 

“I don’t want to interrupt Nate if he’s resolving an issue currently.”

Willow nodded in understanding. “Oh. You are so infuriatingly nice!”

Matt blushed from the compliment. “I’m just being polite,” he protested. Willow shook her head and quietly opened the door just enough for her to slip inside, and after a moment, she opened the (incredibly light) door and Matt walked in. Nate blinked in surprise and delight at what Matt had in his hands. Nate gasped.

“For me?!”

Matt laughed at the expression at his face. “No, though we have still have some extras in the kitchen when you’re done with this.”

Nate smiled. “You’re a wonder, you know that?”

Matt waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah.” He fluttered his eyelashes. “Do I have your Highness’s royal permission to deliver these cupcakes to the distraught gnome that came in earlier?”

Nate smiled widely, his dimples being so apparent, Matt wanted to kiss them over and over and kiss him over and over and- Matt stopped his thought right there. “Of course you can. You’ve been here for a day, and you’re already making the kingdom better. You’re a much better gift than food,” Nate replied, bringing him back to reality.

Matt turned bright red. “Thanks. I’ll be on my way and let you get on with what you’re doing.”

Nate nodded and Willow led Matt out the door that they had come in through. Matt followed her to another exit, where they left and walked the cheerful, yet mysterious forest trail for five minutes to the gnome village, where the guards let them in. They had an escort guard lead them to a gnome home where Matt knelt (Willow was perched on his shoulder) down and knocked on the door. It was swiftly opened by the gnome from earlier, and Matt cleared his throat. 

“I made these for you. I don’t know if you can understand me, but these are a promise that we’ll get your wife back if it’s the last thing we do.” The gnome took the platter and carefully set them on the ground, then leaped at Matt. The gnome wrapped arms around Matt and cried, “Thank you. You are very thoughtful, and it is very hard for me. Thank you, Lord Matthew.”

Matt smiled and hugged him back. “Please, it’s just Matt.”

The gnome let go and cleared his throat. “I would invite you in, but I’m not sure that would work, so, if you would please wait out here?”

Matt nodded. “Of course.”

The gnome came back a minute later with an amulet and gestured for Matt to lower his head, which he did. The gnome carefully lowered it over his neck and smiled at him. “You don’t have to do this,” Matt insisted. 

The gnome waved a hand. “Nonsense. I am too old to use this, and you might find you need it in the future, as a lov- friend of the king.”

Matt nodded and smiled. “Thank you. May I know your name?”

“My name is Hisni, young human. When two gnomes fall in love and are married, we change each other’s names to what we see in each other, so that every time we hear our name, we are thinking of our spouse. In Gnommish, my name means ‘Everything.’ We do not have last names.”

Matt nodded. “Thank you. It’s fascinating to learn things about the others I am surrounded by.”

Hisni nodded warmly. “Come again, young Matthew. I enjoy speaking with you.” With that, Hisni waddled back inside his house with the platter of chocolate cupcakes, humming a vaguely familiar tune. Willow looked at Matt, who “Hmm”ed in thought.

He and Willow stood up and walked out of the village in quiet, both deep in thought. Matt finally broke the silence after they passed the large crystal. “Why do you think he gave me this?”

Willow frowned thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. It’s a Nerex Crystal, one of the finest I’ve ever seen, in fact.”

“What do they do?” 

“I believe they can produce a weapon based on the wearer’s personality and a shield. Both last as long as long as the wearer’s energy does, and they fade when you get knocked out or fall asleep. But, as soon as you wake up, you can call call on them. They’re very rare. I have no clue how he would manage to attain one.”

Matt looked at it thoughtfully. “How do I call it?”

Willow shrugged. “Because they’re so rare, no one is sure. But there are some books in the library that might be able to tell you.” Matt raised an appreciative eyebrow.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Oh! I just remembered, do you want to go get your stuff?”

Matt’s demeanor lit up. “Of course! Thank you for remembering. But… how are we going to get everything from there to here?”

Willow smiled cheekily. “I know a way.”

Matt looked at her, saw that she wasn't going to give him anything else, so he shrugged. “Okay. I’ll trust you.”

Willow snorted. “Like you have a choice.”

Matt laughed.“True that.”

Willow turned around and snapped her fingers. A dirt trail led away from the cobblestone road they were on, and to an unknown location Matt assumed was his house and the outside world. Slowly, as smaller paths led off, the dirt got less trodden on and became less dirt and more undergrowth (which Matt tripped 13 times on) until they walked to a arch of trees with a man, or something similar, standing in their path. Matt carefully stepped over the tree roots that now littered their path and stopped in front of the man. “I cannot let him pass out.” The being pointed at Matt, who looked at Willow.

Her face grew serious and she turned up a dry eyebrow at it. “He will not get away from me. We are running an errand for the king. That is all.”

“How do I know you won’t let him escape?” The being asked. Willow snapped her fingers, and a bright green collar with a chain formed around Matt’s neck. Slowly, it turned invisible, but Matt could still feel it. Willow jerked her hand forward, and Matt was thrown in that direction. He landed on the ground with a thud, and then got back to his feet, rubbing his side painfully. Thankfully, from years of being clumsy, Matt had learned how to automatically relax his muscles when he fell. It was the only thing he liked about his clumsiness. 

“He’s not getting away.” The supernatural being nodded and stepped aside, revealing an opening to a darker, more ominous part of the woods. Matt and Willow hiked through the exposed roots and bushes. As they walked, the forest light got less dark until they came to a clearing. Matt looked over his shoulder, and some form of fear gripped him as he saw the forest line get farther and farther away. Willow cocked her head and gave him an ‘Are you okay?’ look. 

Matt tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. This would be the last time he would leave the forest, if he could help it. Matt had never been comfortable leaving his home, whether it was to go to school or work or grocery shopping, and now they forest was his home. If he could help it, he wouldn’t leave. Not after today.

Within a few minutes, Matt’s home came into view, and he ran forward. Matt threw open the door and smiled down at Skip, who was eagerly meowing at him. Skip rubbed against his leg affectionately, making a happy little flower bloom in Matt’s chest. Matt quickly filled his cat dish, then hurried over to his bedroom and grabbed his biggest suitcase. In it, he put his trusty laptop, the blanket his grandmother made him before she passed away, his phone, his charging cord for both, and a ton of other stuff. Willow helped him occasionally, grabbing this and that and packing it for him, and he told her what he wanted to bring and what he didn’t. She happily obliged to everything, and even made friends with Skip.

Once the suitcase was full, Skip was in his carrier (after a heck of a battle), everything that Matt wanted was in the suitcase, and everyone was ready to go. They had even done some cleaning, and Willow had made a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of the house. This is it, Matt realized with a smile. He was leaving the last of his old house behind, and going to permanently live with Nate. With Nate! The words sent a little thrill through him, and Matt took a deep breath. Willow looked at him with a smirk. 

“Ready?” She asked.

Matt nodded. “Let’s go.”


	4. It's Just The Fourth Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt meets some familiar faces (familiar to us, that is). We also have an angsty boy in this chapter, but it's gonna get better, I promise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Matt meets a lot of the YouTubers I enjoy watching. If you want to know who they are, just tell me in the replies with your tumblr user, and I'll reach out to you. I made this chapter a little short, as I wanted to post what I've been working on, so yeah. As always, please leave me a comment, especially if you see a mistake so I can fix it! It seriously makes my day!!! Okay, now, onto the story!!! :)

Nate was waiting when Willow and Matt got back into the palace. “So, did you get everything?” 

Matt nodded, smiling widely.

Nate looked at him in confusion. “You look… happy. For someone who has just left their home and the world that they’ve always known.”

“But I’m with you.”

A light blush danced on Nate’s cheeks and he turned away, a huge, goofy smile on his face. Nate coughed and looked up again. “Me too. It would be a lot harder to do this without you.”

There was a beat of awkward silence, and Matt cleared his throat, breaking it. “Well, I’ve got to unpack. I’ll not keep you any longer.”

Nate nodded and left, gently closing the door behind him. As soon as he left, the fake smile dropped and Matt collapsed wearily on the bed, warm tears rolling down his face. Willow nestled in his hair, and somehow warmed up, providing a comforting heat. “Oh, Matt. One day. One day.”

Matt shook his head. “He’s never showed any interest. None. No, Willow, it’s not going to happen one day.”

Willow didn’t respond, and Matt just sat there, feeling pity for himself. He didn’t do the whole pity party thing very often, but he decided that he would make an allowance for today. It had been an emotional roller coaster today, and he wasn’t sure if it would ever end.

Eventually, Matt had to get up and unpack his stuff. Willow went to Nate and explained that he wasn’t having dinner with them tonight. She brought Matt dinner after he was done unpacking everything, and ate with him, both in silence. Willow was a comforting presence, there for him whatever his needs might be. She even brought him a cup of Diet Coke. (He didn’t ask how she got it.) 

Finally, Matt turned out the lights and crawled into bed. Willow nestled into his hair and Matt fell into a dreamless sleep. 

 

Matt woke to rays of sunshine streaming in through his window and Skip asleep at his feet. Willow was on the nightstand, preparing a drink with ice. Matt’s mouth felt like cotton, and he realized how dehydrated he was. Willow turned to him, attempting to smile cheerfully. “Good morning! Here, I made this for you.”

Willow pushed the glass towards him, and Matt drank eagerly. It was good, and tasted like cranberries and ginger ale, but it was probably healthier, knowing Willow. Matt finished it in a matter of seconds, and found himself eagerly holding out the glass for more. Willow laughed, a genuine smile on her face now. “I’m glad you like it. It was my grandmother’s recipe.”

A wistful, nostalgic look came over her face, and Matt smiled gently. “It’s lovely. Thank you. You’ve been so good to me, and I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Willow laughed. “Oh, I do. You would crash and burn, that’s what.”

Matt sighed. “That’s for sure. Do you want to go get some breakfast with me?”

Willow fluttered up and nodded. “I would love too.” She eyed Matt with disdain. “After a bath.”

Matt clutched a hand to his heart. “Oof.”

Willow clapped her hands twice, and through the hole in Matt’s wall they came, swarms of beautiful, glowing fairies. They grabbed Matt’s hand and led him out of the bedroom and to the bathroom next door where they made short work of his clothes and bathed him. Matt protested, “You know I can do this myself, right?”

Every-fairy ignored him, and Matt couldn’t blame them. He would have ignored himself as well. Soon, he was squeaky clean (and dressed), and the led him down the hall towards the familiar door, and Matt knocked, even though he knew he would be welcome. It was just polite. “Come in,” Nate invited. 

Matt eased the door open and stepped through, about ten or so fairies following him. Nate smiled when he saw him. “Got everything settled?” 

Matt smiled and nodded. “Yep. We’re all good. So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

Nate shrugged. “It’s up to you. You could learn magic, explore the kingdom a little (but not too much ‘cause some of it is dangerous), just ask Willow.”

Matt nodded and took a seat across from him. “Could I help you some more?”

Nate beamed. “I would love your help. You’re much more diplomatic than me.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say.”

Nate laughed, and they sat in an awkward silence, eating what the fairies served for them. They cleaned up the dishes and Nate and Matt headed to the throne room, and the time quickly passed, with Willow translating everything for Matt, and Matt helping by giving advice and comfort. After that was done, Matt headed back to his room with Willow trailing him. Matt flopped on his bed and groaned, dragging a hand down his face, a nervous habit he had picked up from Nate. “What?” Willow asked. 

“I felt like I only made it more miserable for him.” 

Willow glared at him. “You practically did a better job than he did, and he was happy. You take some of the weight off of his shoulders, and if you can’t see that, than you’re more of an idiot than I originally thought.”

Matt gave her a look, sitting up slightly. “How much of an idiot did you originally think I was?”

Willow raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to answer that.”

Matt sighed and stared at the ceiling. “I suppose you’re right.” He trailed off, then asked, “What else can we do? It’s not quite lunch time yet.”

“Well, we could go and explore, like Nate suggested earlier.” 

Matt pushed himself up and nodded. “Sounds good to me. Just show me the way, and we’ll be off.”

Willow swooped out the door with Matt close on her heels and together, they made their way out of the castle and to the now familiar cobblestone path. This time, however, Willow led Matt down a different path, away form the gnome village. When Matt gave her a questioning look, she just shrugged and said, “We’ve already been there. I’d thought you’d want to see the other places first. Is that okay?”

Matt nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate the level of thought you put into this, even if it was just that.”

Willow gave him an odd look, then shook her head as if to clear it and continue flying forward.

“So,” Matt inquired, jogging to catch up. “Where will we be going first?”

“To the elf village. Then, I’ll show you everything else.” 

“Okay. Are you just going to leave it a surprise, or?...”

Willow smirked. “That’s just going to have to be a mystery.”

Matt shook his head good-naturedly and they traveled down the path further before Matt asked, “So, what are all of the creatures here anyways? Nate listed a few but mentioned that he didn’t remember all of them.”

Willow’s demeanor lit up. “Oh, you, my friend, have just opened a can of worms. I love talking about stuff like this. Well, there are the numerous creatures that are just living in the forest, but no human can see them unless they want to be seen. Those are the fire salamanders that live in the forest, the pixies that don’t want anything to do with anyone (they’re jerks), the thestrals, the orchacas, the kidelichen, the wannabeererveseves, and the oompa loompas.”

Matt looked at her in disbelief. “There are Oompa Loompas?” 

Willow nodded. “Crazy, isn’t it? Then, in the less private ones categories, there are the unicorns, leprechauns, centaurs, kelpies, griffins, basilisks, phoenixes, and phoscats.”

“What are phoscats?”

“Cats that are just a little bigger than your average house cat, and they can talk. They’re great, and, with a potion, we can turn Skip into one if you want. He’ll be immortal.”

“And he’ll be able to talk to me?” Willow nodded excitedly. This was a topic she was clearly enthusiastic about, and with all the gloom from last night, it was very refreshing. 

Matt smiled thoughtfully. “I wonder what Skip would tell me.”

Willow shrugged. “Cats are like people. Very sporadic, moody, and unpredictable. Who knows?”

Matt laughed, a thought coming to him. “I bet he’s sarcastic. He looks at me like I’m stupid sometimes, and I can’t blame him. But, at least I’m not the one getting stuck in trees.”

Willow laughed at that. “Man. I’ve never thought of it like that. Most fairies don’t like cats, because cat’s see them at the top of the food chain and we’re just another form of prey. But I enjoy their company. They have interesting views on just about everything, and it’s hilarious. I’ll take you to meet them today.”

Matt grinned. “Thanks!”

Willow nodded, a happy gleam in her eye, and continued talking excitedly about all the different creatures of the Forest Realm. It was very interesting, and before he knew it, they had stopped at a large door. Matt blinked in confusion and fascination. It was just standing there, doing nothing. Willow knocked on it with a series of complicated taps, and after a moment, it swung open. Beyond the threshold was a completely different world than the one around them. Matt gaped for a second, before realizing that Willow had flown through like there was no problem. Matt scrambled and ran to catch up, the door shutting behind him once he was through.

Inside the door was a village of tree houses. Natural light filtered through the leaves, giving Matt just enough to see, but not being so bright as to ruin the mysterious effect. It was magical, and it certainly made Matt think of Lord of the Rings, but he decided not to mention it. Willow flew up to the main house and knocked on the door, ushering Matt over. The door opened smoothly, revealing a man with brown hair, and a wide smile. “Hi, Willow! It’s been forever! What made you decide to drop by after a month?”

Matt was shook. No one could shame Willow, but here this guy (or so he guessed) was, making her flush bright red from guilt. “Sorry, Thomas, I’ve been very busy, what with his arrival and all.” She gestured at Matt as she said this, making him raise an eyebrow at her. 

Thomas folded his arms, not buying what she was selling. “From what I’ve been told, he only arrived a few days ago.”

Willow hung her head. “Sorry, Thomas. I’ll try to visit more, but, anyways, this is Matt.”

Thomas turned to Matt and nodded in greeting, a wide smile now gracing his face. Thomas held out his hand. “Hi! I’m Thomas Sanders, and you are Matt. But, I don’t know your last name.”

“Patrick,” Matt replied, taking Thomas’ hand and shaking it. “Matthew Patrick, but everyone just calls me Matt.”

“Well, Matthew Patrick but everyone just calls me Matt, it is an honor to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’ve made quite the impressions on the fairies.”

Matt swallowed. “I have, have I?” He asked, risking a glance at Willow, who shrugged. Thomas laughed and stood to the side of the door so they could come in, which they did.

“Yes,” Thomas continued, ushering to the sofa, or at least the Forest Realm version of it. “Don’t worry though. They say you’re quite classy, smart, really kind, and perfect for-“

“Perfect for living in the Forest Realm!” Willow exclaimed, interrupting Thomas, who shot her a Look. Willow raised her eyebrows in return, much to Matt’s confusion. Thomas shrugged and grabbed a teapot. He filled it with water and walked out of view, and then back, without the teapot this time. 

“Anyways,” he continued. “They’re saying great thing about you. They like you.”

Matt laughed. “I hadn’t noticed. They follow me around the palace.”

Thomas laughed with him and a voice called from out of the room. “Thomas!”

“Yes, babe?” Thomas called back. A dirty blond male walked into view, with his hands on his hips. 

“Where is my ukulele?” Thomas grinned sheepishly. 

“I might of let Roman borrow it…” 

Thomas trailed off and the other man rolled his eyes in exasperation. "What does Roman want with it?"

“He wants to romance Virgil!”

“Virgil’s never going on a date with him.”

“You don’t know that!” 

“Yes, I do. He and I talk all the time, and he thinks Roman hates him.”

“Roman doesn’t hate him, I just said he’s just about to serenade him.”

“Do you know how far away I had to go just to get that thing?”

“You ordered it online!”

“I had to go into town to get it! That was three days of travel!”

“I remember. I missed you.”

Not-Thomas opened his mouth to say something, then closed. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Love me forever?”

Not-Thomas sat in Thomas’ lap and raised an eyebrow at him. “I was going to say rid the world of you, but that’s against the law, so I suppose I’ll have to do that.” Thomas grinned from ear to ear and Not-Thomas kissed him. Willow coughed loudly, and Not-Thomas looked at Matt and Willow, noticing them for the first time.

“Oh, sorry.” He stood up, and Matt did as well.

“I’m Jon Cozart. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Jon extended his hand and Matt shook it. “Matthew Patrick. How are you doing today?”

“Good, and yourself?”

“I’m… adjusting.”

Jon sucked in a breath. “Oh, that’s right… you just got here a couple days ago, didn’t you?”

Matt nodded, and Jon asked, “So, how’s the Forest Realm been treating you?”

Matt smiled. “It’s great. I certainly wasn’t expecting to live in the forest… in a tree… and with live fairies, but here I am.”

Jon laughed and Thomas smiled. “Well,” Jon began. “If it makes you feel better, I used to live in The Human Realm (as the people and not people here call it), like you. I met Thomas, fell in love, and he eventually told me about this place. We got married and moved here, claiming that we were moving to Europe. And now, there’s someone else here like me.”

Jon looked at Thomas and then at Willow. “Hey, would it be alright if we introduced him to everyone else?”

Willow nodded and Thomas stood up excitedly. “I think they’ll like you.”

Thomas and Jon rushed out the door, leaving Willow and a bewildered Matt standing there. “But… they don’t even know me,” he protested lamely. 

Willow smiled. “Oh, but they do.” With that, she flew out the door, and Matt rushed out there after her. Thomas and Jon were already several yards ahead of them, and Matt and Willow ran/flew to join them. 

“Oh, you’ll love them. They’re great,” Thomas was ranting now, with Jon pitching in every now and then. Neither of them had even noticed that Matt and Willow had just barely caught up.

“Some of them are annoying, but most of them are fairly decent,” Jon added. Thomas barely even noticed his comment, and went on.

“Joan and Talyn are absolutely incredible, and then there’s Logan, Virgil, Roman, Patton, Jack (though his real name is Sean), Mark, Jason, Stephanie, Chris, Cry, Felix, Marzia, Ethan, Tyler, Katherine, Terrence, Amy, Bob, Wade, Dodie, and that’s about it, I think. We have a lot of friends.” Matt nodded. 

“I see.” Jon turned around to look at him and smiled, a perfectly manicured eyebrow raised. “You’re one of us now, kid. Welcome to The Forest Realm.” Matt smiled and they walked for about fifteen minutes, talking about each of their friends perks and qualities to the point where Matt didn’t think he even had to meet them, he knew them so well. Finally, they came to a large opening in the trees that led to a large field. The field was lush and green, stretching for miles and miles, turning all sorts of different colors. There were strawberry plants, that much Matt could tell, as he had once grown an abundance of them himself. There was corn being grown, wheat, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Jon looked at Willow. “Does he know how to teleport yet?” He asked. 

Willow shook her head and Jon rolled his eyes. “Thomas, you’re taking Matt, since they apparently haven’t taught him the most important thing that he needs to know.” 

Willow’s huffed in annoyance. “He has only been here a few days. He hasn’t learned anything, and it’s neither his nor our fault.” 

Jon shrugged. “Whatever.” 

Thomas beamed and held out his hand. Matt took it, and suddenly, there was a mirage of beautiful colors all around them. Colors of all different shades and hues, smoke of them colors Matt hadn’t even seen before. Matt gaped in awe, and suddenly, it vanished, and he was standing in between two rows of banana trees. There was plenty of space in the middle for walking between the ladders reaching up to take down the potassium rich fruit. 

“Mark!” Someone with an Irish accent yelled. “Can you hand me the clippers?”

Someone with a red floor of hair handed the person who was yelling a pair of long tree branch cutters, and the person clipped off a dead branch. “Thanks!” Came the response. 

Thomas beamed at Matt and gestured at the person who had just trimmed the tree. “That’s Jack! The person with red hair below him is Mark, his boyfriend. That’s Stephanie, Jason, Bob, Wade,” Thomas went on, naming all the people he had named earlier. 

They all came over to Matt, Willow, Thomas, and Jon, all introducing themselves and welcoming Matt. Everyone looked up as a bell began clanging. Matt looked around in panic, attempting to find the source of the noise, but to the others, it seemed to be perfectly normal. Everyone began to disappear in a flash of light to who knows where, and Talyn excitedly grabbed his hand. “Come on! I’ll take you back, and we can all have lunch together!” They exclaimed excitedly. 

Thomas beamed. “See, I told you they would like you, Matt!”


	5. Things Get Interesting (finally)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt is getting into some deep doo doo, though he really doesn't know it yet. The next few chapters are not going to be fun for him. (Note from me: Agh! This chapter is so short! I'm really sorry, but I felt that that was just a really good place to end it, and now that I think about it, it would have been a really good idea to just keep this chapter with Chapter Four. Again, super sorry!!!!)

Matt smiled at those words, a little flower of happiness blooming in his chest. Talyn grabbed his hand excitedly and together, they teleported back to the village center. All around were elves weaving their way around one another like fish in a river: graceful and beautiful. Matt looked all around him in wonder as everyone passed him, shooting him smiles and the occasional waves, which he always waved back in response to. Thomas led him to a large table where the majority of them were already sitting. 

“Well, welcome to the crew! We are the LGBTQ+ organization here. Jon and I heard from Willow here that there are a lot of elves that are queer, so we put up a sign up sheet. Of course, there were some slurs on there against us, but the entire sheet was filled up. That’s how I met all of these lovelies!” Thomas exclaimed happily. 

“Wow. You certainly have a lot of queers here.” Thomas nodded excitedly. 

“Isn’t it amazing? I feel so lucky to be here with all of you.” Everyone awed respectfully, and Matt smiled. Yeah, he would like it here in the Forest Realm.

 

Meanwhile, in the part of the forest where ‘King’ Oberon resides...  
(A small note from the author: This part has been translated out of Faerie for your convenience.)

“What?! How come I didn’t hear about this sooner?!” Oberon demanded. The leprechaun shrugged. 

“Sorry, pal, but that’s just how it goes. Our spy just barely told us. We got it to you as soon as possible.” Oberon stood and lunged forward, grabbing the leprechaun by the throat. 

“Don’t address your king with such disrespect!” He snarled. He released the leprechaun who rubbed his neck, shooting a fierce glare up at the king. The leprechaun looked up as Oberon began speaking again.

“We must use this information to our benefit. We will take this new lover of Nate’s and make sure he never sees him again. That will break him enough for us to take over the kingdom fully. We shall not stop until the kingdom belongs to it’s rightful ruler!” The leprechaun nodded and began to walk away to tell the others, but they stopped when the felt Oberon’s hand gripping his shoulder. 

“Make plans to take him as soon as possible. Nathan will be so busy with the preparations for winter, it will be hard for him to deal with this new development, and he will snap under the pressure. It will be then that we shall make our move. Send out your men, and collect him as soon as possible. Do I make myself clear?!” The leprechaun nodded and walked out of the room. Oberon sat back in his chair and smiled. 

“The kingdom will be mine before dawn!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! Cliff hanger!! Again, super sorry for the short chapter, but I'll try to post the nezt one soon, and make it a long one. As always, please comment! Seeing them always makes my day! :)


	6. The Angst Ridden One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt meets Oberon and is not treated very well. Willow is sad and Matt finally learns the truth about Nate. Speaking of which, I think I just might write some of the next chapter from his point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so another chapter. I hope you guys feel stuff, because that's how I'll know I did my job 'write.' <:D Ah, ah, anyone? No? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, content warning for Matt being a gladiator and Oberon. Oberon, just, man, I hate him. As always, please leave kudos and give me an honest review. Don't worry; I can take anything!!!! :) (Hi, me again. Sorry this one is also sort of short, but, don't worry!!!! It's not as short as the other one, so, there's that. Okay byeeeeeee!!!!!!!)

Matt trailed behind Willow happily. Today had gone perfectly. He had a lot of friends here, and he felt less depressed about Nate. That was a good thing. Yeah, Matt was feeling pretty fine. That was, of course, when it happened. 

Small beings jumped out of the bushes and grabbed Matt’s legs, knocking him to the ground. Matt kicked them off and began to run when loud footsteps began to shake the trees around him. An ogre stepped onto the path in front of him, and Matt turned around and began to run in the other direction when a meaty hand picked him off the ground, squeezing his ribs. Matt let out a yell of agony as he heard a rib crack. Willow was at his side in an instant, only to be swatted like a fly. Willow smacked into a tree and fell, unconscious, into the hands of a leprechaun. The said leprechaun threw her into a wooden cage, and Matt began to thrash in the ogre’s hand. The grip didn’t release, and instead, the ogre lowered him to the ground, where a leprechaun blew some dust into his face. Matt coughed and felt his eyelids grow heavy. Everything dissolved into the dreamless sleep forced upon him, and Matt knew no more but a vague sense of panic. 

 

Matt slowly opened his eyes to a cold, hard surface underneath him. He groaned and sat up.“Ah, you’re awake,” an angelic voice behind him said. 

Matt turned around to find a female gnome staring at him with her gray eyes. She smiled kindly and handed a bowl to him. “I’m sorry you have had this thrust upon you. You’re so young to have to be suffering like this. My name is Solus.”

Matt’s eyes widened in recognition. “You’re Hisni’s wife!”

Solus’ eyes brightened at the mention of his name. “You know of Hisni? Is he well? Is he feeding himself? How do you know him?” 

Matt laughed and raised his hands. “Whoa! Slow down! I do. One of the first days I was here, he came in seeking help to get you back. By the sound of it, it looks like he had already tried multiple times.” 

Solus nodded sadly. “I know. I could hear the commotion outside each time, and my dear Hisni calling my name.” 

Matt sighed sadly. “He is well, though, is he not? I told him to take care of himself when they took me.” 

Matt nodded. “He looked fairly healthy, although I’m not sure of the difference between unhealthy and healthy.” 

Solus cocked her head to the side. “Were his leaves turning brown?” She asked. 

Matt shook his head. “They were -are- perfectly green.” 

Solus nodded. “Then he is healthy. That is good. How did you meet him?” She asked. 

“He came in requesting help to get you back. He began to cry and I wanted to do something for him. So my friend and I baked chocolate cupcakes for him and delivered them with her. Wait, is there a fairy in here?” 

Solus nodded. “She’s been working on escaping for the last hour. She keeps muttering to herself.” 

Matt’s eyebrows narrowed in concern. “Where is she?” He asked. 

Solus pointed behind him and Matt slowly got up, looking at all of his surroundings. In front of him was a door, and behind him was a window with wooden bars where a familiar figure was scratching at the bars. 

“Willow?” Matt asked hesitantly. Willow turned around and, seeing him, launched herself at him. A perplexed Matt felt the fairy bury herself in his shirt. She began to weep and her small hands clenched his shirt. Matt smiled softly and gently stroked the back of her head, sensing it was rude to touch the wings. Willow sniffled and looked up at him, tears shining on her eyes. 

“It’s all my fault! If I had been paying attention or thought to have used my magic, I would it have failed!” 

Matt smiled gently down at her. “Willow, it’s not your fault. They had an ogre. There’s not much you could have done. Even if you could have done something, you could’ve been hurt more. And besides, the situation could’ve been much worse. Wait… why haven’t you left yet? The space between the bars is definitely big enough for you to fly through!” 

Willow shook her head. “I know. I’m not leaving without you.” 

Matt smiled sadly again. “Someone has to tell Nate what happened. I know you feel ashamed, but he will understand, I promise.” 

Willow bit her bottom lip. “Alright. I’ll go. But you’re getting out of here, and I’m going to help!” Matt nodded encouragingly and looked toward the window meaningfully. Willow nodded and flew out after giving Matt one last determined look. 

Just after Willow flew out the window, the door clicked and unlocked, revealing an ogre filling the doorframe. The ogre reached down and picked up Matt, who managed to get about three meters away before being caught by the ogre’s large hand. The ogre groaned and took Matt out the door, closing and locking it behind him. Matt struggled, but the ogre squeezed, making Matt gasp in pain. Matt stopped struggling, and the ogre grunted approvingly. The ogre and Matt came to another door, and the ogre knocked politely. A loud voice commanded, “Come in!” 

The ogre holding Matt obliged and they entered a large cavern with a man in a chair in the middle. “Well, well, well. It’s about time you joined us.”  
Matt’s attention was drawn to the speaker, a middle age man with brown hair, a mustache, and a crown made of golden leaves and vines similar to the one Nate wore atop his head. “I am King Oberon. Brutus, set him down.”

Brutus did as he asked, setting Matt down with extra care. and with a nod from Oberon, left the room. The only other ones in the room now were Matt, two guards at the only entrance and exit, and Oberon. Oberon raised an eyebrow at Matt, who straightened his back and stood tall, a cold, calculating expression on his face. “So, the alleged lover of the king.”

Matt snorted. “Yeah right. Who told you that? I’m worthless to King Nathan. The gnomes brought me in, hoping that I would bring him happiness, but it appears their effort was all for naught. Was that why you brought me here?” Oberon’s mouth narrowed into a thin line. 

“Yes,” he sneered. “That was why I brought you here, but I think you’re lying. We’ll see whether you’re right in due time. In the meantime, methinks we can make use of you.”

Matt raised an eyebrow, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. “And what is that?”

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked! You’re going to fight my best soldiers. Good training, you see. Not to mention, entertaining for all watching.” Oberon’s snapped his fingers, and Brutus came back in. 

“Brutus! Take him to the Pit!” Brutus grabbed Matt and carried him out of the room and down the hall to a set of more beat up doors. Brutus knocked, and the doors swung open, unleashing the sound of clashing metal and the tangy smell of blood. Matt swallowed, his heart rate quickening. Brutus halted and Oberon walked in front of them, smiling up at Matt.

“Brutus, please set him down and go fetch Ismildir.” Brutus lowered Matt to the ground and trudged back out through the thick doors, leaving Matt standing in front of   
Oberon. Oberon looked him up and down and scoffed. 

“You won’t survive ten seconds in there!” He exclaimed. 

Oberon decided to continue to rant about how weak and inferior he was, when Matt looked and saw the slower closing doors. Matt made a mad dash and made it out just as the doors slid closed. Matt dashed toward the first sign of sun he saw. Matt ran until he saw a door open just a crack with the dead forest right outside. Matt sprinted as hard as he could towards the doors leading to the outside, only to feel something grab him, dragging him to an abrupt halt. Heavy shackles were clamped onto his arms and legs and Matt was dragged upward to come face to face with the smug look of Oberon.

“Well, well. You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” He asked, his grin more sinister than the Cheshire cat. 

“You can’t escape,” he continued. “I’ve guards secured at every door.”

Matt laughed. “Apparently not that one.” A sour look crossed Oberon’s face, and he punched Matt hard in the stomach. 

Matt exhaled painfully before the guards holding him dragged him back to the training room. Matt was thrown in the battle cage and was handed a sword and shield. Both were in considerably bad condition, but Matt supposed they would have to do. Matt got into the familiar battle stance he saw on Kingdom Hearts and hoped for the best. He wasn’t exactly what you’d call fit, but he did exercise regularly, so hopefully, that would count for something. 

A door across him opened, and a fully armored leprechaun stepped out, his sword glistening in the firelight of the torches. Matt gritted his teeth and nodded at his opponent, who then charged him. Matt deftly swerved to the side, avoiding their blade. Matt brought his sword up, clashing it against his opponent’s, before blocking the sword with his shield. 

All too soon, Matt’s opponent’s sword was at his neck, Matt’s own sword far from him and multiple cuts across his body. The leprechaun nodded and stepped away before gathering his sword and shield and leaving the arena. Another one came in, and Matt managed to beat that one, but just barely. Another fight, and another, and another, came and went. Finally, Oberon nodded, and two guards came in, grabbed both his arms and led him out of the battle cage to where Brutus was waiting. Brutus picked him up and carried him back to his cell where a plate of food was waiting for him. He noticed other gnomes, and managed to sit down, be it painfully. 

“Oh, you poor soul,” Solus lamented. “What did he do to you?” 

Matt smiled up at her weakly. “I got to be a gladiator.” 

The other gnomes looked on warily, before Solus nodded at them “He’s alright. Everyone, this is Matt. Matt, this is Welfi, Jodysa, Rasimphi, Dorwin, and Gafgan. Matt was brought here just a few days after I. Same as you, in fact.”

The group slowly moved forward, still wary, as they should be. Matt waved shyly, grunting in pain when he felt a newly formed scab opened. Solus’ eyes widened,and she commanded, “Take off your shirt. Your wounds obviously need treating.”

Matt nodded and did as she said, not wanting her to worry for him. Solus raised her eyebrows at the his various cuts, and snapped her fingers commandingly. Jodysa ran to her side, and Solus whispered something in her ear. Jodysa nodded and went to the cell door, where she began to sing a beautiful melody. Matt didn’t understand the words, but it almost put him to sleep; it was hypnotic and alluring, and he could feel his tired limbs start to relax, but Solus gently held his face and made him look at her. Matt did so, and his mind cleared. 

Suddenly, the door swung open, and the guards brought in a clean rag and a bucket of water as well as a bottle of some unknown substance. The door closed, and Jodysa sang the beautiful tune no more. “Did you make sure they don’t know what happened?” Solus asked.

Jodysa nodded, and Solus smiled. “Thank you, my dear.”

With that, Solus turned to Matt, carefully washing the rag in the water, and then wiping the blood off of his torso. The cuts stung a little, as Matt expected them to, but he said nothing. Solus began to sing softly, and the cuts slowly closed. Matt watched with amazement, and when she was done, Matt thanked her. Solus waved her hand. 

“It is nothing. You are kind, loyal, and trusting. I respect this about you, Matthew.” Matt smiled. 

“Again, thank you. When we get back, I hope I can improve as much as I can, and make sure no one has to suffer as you all have ever again.” 

Solus’ eyes grew. “You’re the one who’s suffered, not us,” she gestured to the other gnomes. 

Matt smiled gently. “I haven’t been torn away from family who loves me. We’ll get you back, even if I die to make it happen.”

Suddenly, Willow flew in through the barred window, looking absolutely terrible. She had dark circles under her eyes, her dress was ripped, and it looked like she hadn’t slept in days, even though it had been only a matter of hours. “Willow!” Matt exclaimed. “What happened to you?”

Willow smiled weakly. “Well, I got back, I told King Nate what happened, and he told me and a few other fairies to learn everything we can about our surroundings. Once we have, we rescue you and the other gnomes. For now, he wants me to tell you that he will get to know you, and… that he loves you.”

Matt’s eyes went wide. “He- he loves me?” He stammered weakly. 

Willow nodded. “Matt, I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out earlier. The way he looks at you, it’s with pure love. And I’m going to stop there so when you get back to him, he can tell you himself.”

Matt’s breathing increased tenfold, his heart feeling like it was going to burst out of his chest. “Did he really say that?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “He didn’t have too.” Her voice then turned softer. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

Matt nodded. Today had been vicious, and he could feel the depression he had been fighting for all his life coming back in a familiar tidal wave. But, Willow was going to stay with him. He had Solus and the other gnomes. But most important of all, Nate loved him. Yeah, Matt decided. He could handle anything Oberon threw at him. At least for a few more days.


	7. I'm Really Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...oof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so content warning for really creepy shit, (oh, that reminds me) cussing, self-hate, really bad grammar and punctuation, guns, knives, abuse and just... yeah. Okay, so this as well as the next chapter is really depressing, so PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Also, this one is still shorter than I would prefer, so sorry about that again.

The next few days were no different. Matt had been subjected to things no one should be subjected to. He now had very permanent scars etched across his back, chest, legs, arms, and one on his face. Or at least, they would be scars if they ever healed. Surprisingly, Matt actually didn’t hate them that much. To him, they were symbols that he was still alive, although many of the cuts he got became easily infected, despite Solus’ and Jodysa’s efforts. They hurt, and Matt barely got any food or water. While, in a way, his gladiator-esque fights were making him both physically and mentally stronger, it was also making him weaker. The infected wounds made it really hard for him to fight back without hurting something, making it so that he got even more wounds. It was not good, but Matt had Willow’s comforting presence every night, helping him to sleep, and he had the thought of Nate to get back to. He had also promised freedom to Solus and the others, and he planned to do everything in his power to fulfill it. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much in his power he could do at this exact time.

One day, however, was different from the others. It was his twelfth day, at least, that’s what Matt could recall. Matt was fighting another soldier wearily, still trying, but not being very good. Oberon was watching on, feasting and guffawing at all of his mistakes, but, thank goodness, Matt had learned on the first to block him out.  
On this particular day, a soldier had burst into the room, yelling, “We’re under attack, my Lord!”

Immediately, Oberon replied, “Initiate Code 13! It seems you were wrong, my beloved prisoner. It seems Nathan does have some affection for you. Or maybe, he just wanted his gnomes and elves back. I’m betting on the second one, considering how pathetic you are.”

Matt stared up at him with the loathing of ten thousand suns. “Don’t you dare speak King Nathan’s name!”

Two guards burst through the Pit door and seized Matt’s arms before dragging him up the familiar staircase and carrying him to the front of Oberon’s wannabe throne. They dropped him there before running off to join the battle. Matt painfully pushed himself to his feet to try and run, but as he was painfully attempting to take a step away from his captor, he felt an arm wrap around his neck and a sharp blade being pressed to his esophagus. “Don’t move a muscle,” Oberon commanded. “Your idiotic leader will be here soon, and we’re going to see just how much he cares about you.”

Matt obeyed and stood stiffly, waiting for the dreaded moment when Nate would come bursting in, ever the gallant hero, only to find Matt like this: weak, and in no shape to attempt to try and fight back.

Sure enough, a moment later the heavy, wooden doors were thrown open to reveal Nate in full battle armor, leading the charge. Nate’s eyes fell on Matt, and he immediately shot daggers with his eyes at Oberon. “Let him go,” Nate commanded.

Oberon smirked. “My dear boy, I think you are in no position to give any orders right now. Walk,” he ordered Matt. Matt did so, hating himself with every ounce of his being.

He and Oberon turned, and Oberon began to back slowly towards the entrance to the Pit. Matt took a deep breath, summoning all of his bravery and stomped on Oberon’s foot as hard as he could. The effects were immediate, and within a fraction of a second, Oberon had let Matt go, howling and holding onto his foot. Matt stumbled towards Nate as best he could with the multiple, painful injuries he had. Nate ran forward, but from the entrance to the battle pit swarmed dozens of soldiers. They encircled Nate, allowing Oberon to catch hold of Matt again, dragging him away from Nate.

“NO!!!” Matt cried. “No, please, no!”

Oberon paid him no heed, and pulled him towards a wall. Oberon banged on a knot in the wood, and a door opened. Oberon dragged Matt into the dark space, Matt thrashing wildly. Oberon threw Matt to the ground and pulled out something Matt hoped he would never have to see again. His breath hitched in his throat as he stared down the all too familiar chamber of a gun.

Matt was terrified. He had only had a gun pointed at him twice, and both times were the most traumatizing memories he had. Matt managed to swallow, and he put on a brave face. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Oberon laughed. “Oh, sweetie, you should be.” With that, he lowered his gun and shot Matt in the leg. Matt screamed in pain and clutched his leg.

“MATT!” He heard Nate yell. Matt looked at the open doorway to see Nate desperately fighting against all odds. Suddenly, Nate was joined by many others and they began to fight them off. Jack gave Nate a meaningful look and Nate sprinted towards Matt as fast as he could. Matt looked down at his thigh where Oberon had shot him. Nate was getting closer, and, oh, apparently Oberon had been monologuing this entire time. Matt continued to ignore him and stared at Nate as Nate was suddenly joined by a swarm of very angry looking fairies. Matt smiled, hope gleaming in his agony-filled eyes.

“What are you grinning at?!” Oberon barked. Matt’s head whipped around to see Oberon leering down at him menacingly.

“Nothing,” Matt replied.

Oberon barked out a laugh. “Liar!” Oberon, to Matt’s horror, looked at Nate charging the door, getting closer and closer. Nate was so close. Just a little further, Matt thought. Come on!

But it was too late. Oberon hit another knot in the wood, and the door closed, leaving Matt and Oberon alone in the dark. “Finally,” Oberon sneered. “I can get to know you once and for all. But, let’s give you a fair shot. I’ll give you a ten second head start, and I’ll even close my eyes.”

Oberon began counting down, and, knowing this was his only chance, Matt dragged himself away from him as fast as he could. Matt could hear Nate banging on the door and he could see a really bright light from behind it. Just a little longer. That’s how long Matt had to hang on for. Matt braced himself against the wall and stood up, almost passing out in pain in the process. Matt hid behind a wall and observed his surroundings. It appeared he was in some sort of maze, and frankly, that made Matt happy. He liked puzzles. Except, he didn’t really think he would like mazes all that much after this.

Matt rounded a corner, hobbling painfully. Matt heard Oberon get to one, and Matt forced himself to be calm. “You can’t escape,” Oberon’s voice echoed through the maze.

Matt shivered. This was turning into a horror movie, but he would survive. He had to. For Nate. Matt checked his hands to make sure he wasn’t leaving a bloody trail for Oberon to follow and he rounded the next corner. There was an explosion, and Nate’s voice called, “MATT! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Oberon laughed. “Oh, goody, goody! A race! Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn’t do that if I were you, my dear Nathan! This maze is lined with traps! Isn’t it a-maze-ing?”

Okay, that did it for Matt. Now normally, Matt appreciated puns. The English Language, like anything humans made, was imperfect. Why not make fun of those imperfections in a light-hearted way? But this, this was criminal. No. Puns were to be used at the expense of the human language, not at the expense of someone's life. Especially Nate’s. Not cool.

Matt shook it off and went around the next corner, listening as Oberon gave the ‘rules’ to his twisted little game. “If I find your cute boyfriend first, I get to keep him forever, and you can’t try and come get him, otherwise. If you win, I surrender and never bother you again. Do you understand, my dearikins?”

“Yes,” Nate snarled.

Oberon giggled obnoxiously. “Okay! Ready, setty, GO!”

Oberon’s voice took a demonic turn on that last word, making Matt begin to get a theory. Unfortunately, that theory would have to wait. For now, Matt had to survive.

Matt ran down the passage and reached out with his mind. He wasn’t sure it would actually do anything, but trying that was better than nothing. To Matt’s surprise, he felt a familiar presence that felt like Nate. Tentative and wary, Matt reached out to the point where he was touching Nate’s conscious. Nate felt worried and determined, but when Matt ‘touched’ him, he felt confused.

‘Matt?’ He ‘asked.’

Matt’s eyes went wide with excitement and happiness. ‘Nate!?’

Suddenly, while he was reaching out and communicating with Nate, Matt felt another consciousness come into their atmosphere. It felt ambitious, to the point where it felt… insane. ‘Ah, ah, ah,’ it chastised. ‘None of that here.’

Matt’s consciousness was blasted with power and both he and Nate cried out in pain. “Ooh!” Oberon’s voice echoed. “I think I’m getting warmer! Better hurry, Nate!”

In desperation, Matt ‘yelled’ out, ‘Nate! I’m over here!’

The crazy conscious voice that Matt assumed was Oberon replied with a ‘Oh, thank you, my dear Matt! Can’t wait to spend eternity with you!’

Matt gritted his teeth and tried to keep moving forward. But… it was too much. Matt couldn’t do it. Everything closed in on him, the last sound he heard being the maniacal laugh of Oberon the last thing he heard before collapsing.

 

_*Author's Notes: So, I have a question or two for the few people reading this. Do you want it to get happier after this, or do you want it to go on longer and get... darker? Like, a hell of a lot darker. So far, I have no idea what to do, so that's why this chapter might come out a bit later than the others. As I've said in a reply to a comment on this, you as the readers had power, so I want to know what you think.*_


	8. Happily Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is my last chapter! I'm really sorry this is so short, but I have found another NatePat story to write that I am really excited about. I am so happy that I was able to finish this one, it has been so much fun (sort of) to write!!! As always, please leave a comment if you see any mistakes, and I hope you enjoy this last little story of mine!!! :)

Matt stirred awake and hesitantly opened his eyes. He was in a soft, comfy, familiar bed. Matt sat up happily and gasped twice, first from excitement that he was home, but then that he sat up to quickly. The door burst open, and Nate sprinted in and gently lay him back down in bed. “You are in no condition to be moving,” he said.

Matt grinned happily at seeing him and winced. Nate was right. He was still injured everywhere, and just breathing hurt. “Nate, I love you,” Matt declared. 

Nate smiled softly, and for a second, Matt worried that maybe while he was gone, Nate had fallen for someone else. But then, “I love you too, Matthew Patrick.”

With that, Nate left, and a glowing streak of lightning shot out of the fairy hole in Matt’s wall, slamming into his chest. “Oof!” Matt exclaimed. 

He looked down, and there was Willow,, hugging him with all of her tiny fairy strength. Following her were hundreds of fairies, and they all surrounded Matt, playing with his hair, touseling his shirt and hugging him. Matt smiled happily, attempting to ignore the pain in his injuries. One of them dug in a little too hard, and Matt gasped in pain. Immediately, he was surrounded by a glowing cloud of fairies, all of them twittering in concern. “Guys, it’s fine!” Matt protested. “It just stung a little, that’s all.”

Willow cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly, and Matt sighed. “Fine, it does hurt… a lot…”

He trailed off, and before he could tell what was happening, the fairies had all formed a circle around his bed, and they began chanting. Suddenly, Matt began glowing, and they began glowing, and Matt felt himself ease naturally into a laying down position before he floated off of the bed. Matt closed his eyes peacefully and felt all of his wounds miraculously close up. What was going on?

Matt felt the bed under his back once more, and he sat up carefully. Matt looked all over his body and saw miniscule, glowing golden scars. One fairy looked at him expectantly. “So, what do you think?”

Matt gawked. “I- I can understand you!” he exclaimed.

The fairy looked at the others around her in shock. “What?” Willow whispered.

Matt looked around at the other fairies in worry. “What does that mean?” He asked.

Willow looked up at him with reverence and awe, and all of the fairies, her included, bowed to him. “Willow? What’s going on?” Matt asked hesitantly.

Willow looked up and smiled. “Matthew Patrick, you are our ruler.”

Matt’s eyes grew. “What?” 

The fairies straightened up and one rolled her eyes. “You’re our king, dumbass.”

Matt sighed. “Well, it’s good to know I have such kind subjects.”

The others snickered and Willow tugged on his shirtsleeve. “Come on. You need another bath. The stench of that place is still on you.” 

Matt smiled and happily let them tug him along. They bathed him, gave him new clothes and did his hair. It looked really nice, even though you could see his rib cages prominently. Matt followed them to the throne room where Matt waited at the door, and Willow fluttered in. She whispered something in Nate’s ear, and he stood, politely excused himself and calmly walked out. As soon as he made it out the door, he sprinted over to Matt and wrapped his arms around Matt’s neck and kissed him passionately. 

Matt froze, before returning it in full. They broke off after and moment, and Nate smiled, his eyes glittering with tears. “Matthew Patrick, I love you with all of my heart and soul. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I do. I love you so, so much!”

Matt sniffed, tears of his own rolling down his face. “I love you too.”

They kissed again, and Nate swallowed and looked at Matt seriously. “Matt, as soon as the snow is gone, we are going to defeat Oberon once and for all. And I want you by my side, as my fiancé.”

Matt cocked his head in confusion. “Why not husbands?”

Nate shook his head. “Not until Oberon’s reign is over. Then, we’ll get married. If you want to, of course.”

Matt laughed. “Nate, there is nothing I want more in the whole world.”

 

One And A Half Years Later

 

“I do.” The final words were spoken and Nate kissed him reverently. Matt smiled and kissed Nate back, hard. The large crowd cheered and they smiled at one another. They crowd threw rice, flower petals, and the occasional handful of glitter, because why not? 

The rest of the day was spent in celebration; much alcohol was consumed, much cake was consumed, and at the end of the day, Matt and Nate retired to their room together, both a little tipsy because of Willow’s ‘special’ punch. (Apparently, her definition of ‘special’ is a shit ton of alcohol.) And, Matt decided, he was happy. The two kings had come so far and progressed so much. They ruled the kingdom with equality and chivalry for hundreds of centuries until they decided that enough was enough and it was time to give the kingdom to their adopted daughter. They died peacefully, next to each other till the very end. And that’s that. What more is there to add to a Happily Ever After?

Aight, I hope you guys enjoyed it, just please remember that this is all my opinion. If you ship these two or anyone else who exists in real life, please respect their opinions. This was not because I want them to get it on in real life, but because I really like their personalities and I think they go well together. Again, this was just a story I made for fun. THANKS YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING!!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THE LENS OF HAPPINESS WHERE I HOPE YOU ALL RESIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (seriously though, you guys are the best.)


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